Content deleted Content added
m Disambiguating links to Goldfinger (link changed to Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey song)) using DisamAssist. |
No edit summary |
||
Line 27:
==Early life==
Brewer was born in [[Toledo, Ohio]], the eldest of five siblings.<ref name=TheIndependent>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/teresa-brewer-400942.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220811/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/teresa-brewer-400942.html |archive-date=2022-08-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Obituary: Teresa Brewer |work=The Independent |date=October 19, 2007}}</ref> Her father Ludwig Brauer, a German immigrant, was a glass inspector for the Libbey Owens Company (now part of [[Pilkington Glass]]), and her mother
==Career==
Her showbiz career began almost as soon as she was able to walk and talk. At the age of 2, her mother entered her in ''The Uncle August Kiddie Show'' on Toledo's WSPD and she was a hit with audiences. At the age of 7, Brewer entered ''The Major Bowles Amateur Hour'' and was soon touring around the country with them. At 12, her mother pulled her from the road to finish school. She went to New York City with an aunt in 1947 and began singing in nightclubs at just 16. It was there that she met her husband Bill Monahan.
An agent, Richie Lisella, heard her sing and took her career in hand, and soon she was signed to a contract with [[London Records]]. In 1949 she recorded the song [[Copenhagen (song)|Copenhagen]] (a jazz perennial) with the Dixieland All-Stars. For the [[A-side and B-side|B side]] she recorded the song "[[Music! Music! Music!]]". Unexpectedly, it was not the A side but the B side which took off, selling over a million copies and becoming Teresa's signature song. Another novelty song, "Choo'n Gum", hit the top 20 in 1950, followed by "Molasses, Molasses". Although she preferred to sing ballads, her only recorded ballad to make the charts was "[[Longing for You]]" in 1951.▼
▲An agent, Richie Lisella, heard her sing and took her career in hand, and soon she was signed to a contract with [[London Records]]. In 1949 she recorded the song [[Copenhagen (song)|Copenhagen]] (a jazz perennial) with the Dixieland All-Stars along with a number of other recordings. For the [[A-side and B-side|B side]] she recorded the song "[[Music! Music! Music!]]". Unexpectedly, it was not the A side but the B side which took off, selling over a million copies and becoming Teresa's signature song. Another novelty song, "Choo'n Gum", hit the top 20 in 1950, followed by "Molasses, Molasses
In 1951 Brewer switched labels, going to [[Coral Records]]. Since she never learned to read music, she had demos sent to her to learn the melodies of the songs she would record. She had a number of hits for Coral. In 1952, she recorded "You'll Never Get Away" in a duet with [[Don Cornell]], followed in 1953 by her best selling hit, "[[Till I Waltz Again with You]]". In the mid-1950s she did a number of [[Cover version|covers]] of [[rhythm and blues]] songs like "[[Pledging My Love]]" and "[[Tweedle Dee]]". She covered some [[country music|country]] songs including "[[Jilted (song)|Jilted]]", "I Gotta Go Get My Baby", and "[[Let Me Go, Lover!]]". In 1956 she co-wrote "I Love Mickey", about [[New York Yankees]] center fielder [[Mickey Mantle]], who appeared on the record with Brewer. It was also reported that the two had developed a mutual attraction. Another 1956 hit was Brewer's syncopated rendition of "[[Mutual Admiration Society (song)|Mutual Admiration Society]]". In the same year her hit "[[A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl]]" demonstrated in one song her ballad and rock talents. In 1957 she recorded more covers: of country song "Teardrops in My Heart" and R&B songs "[[You Send Me]]"<ref name=pc17>{{Gilliland|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19767/m1|title=Show 17 - The Soul Reformation: More on the evolution of rhythm and blues[Part 3]}}</ref> and "[[Empty Arms]]". She appeared as a special guest star on [[The Muppet Show]] in 1977.▼
▲In 1951 Brewer switched labels, going to [[Coral Records]]. Since she never learned to read music, she had demos sent to her to learn the melodies of the songs she would record. She had a number of hits for Coral and rerecorded "Music! Music! Music!" with the new label (and would record it a third time for a Europe-only greatest hits collection in 1962). In 1952, she recorded "You'll Never Get Away" in a duet with [[Don Cornell]], followed in 1953 by her best selling hit, "[[Till I Waltz Again with You]]". In the mid-1950s she did a number of [[Cover version|covers]] of [[rhythm and blues]] songs like "[[Pledging My Love]]" and "[[Tweedle Dee]]". She covered some [[country music|country]] songs including "[[Jilted (song)|Jilted]]", "I Gotta Go Get My Baby", and "[[Let Me Go, Lover!]]". In 1956 she co-wrote "I Love Mickey", about [[New York Yankees]] center fielder [[Mickey Mantle]], who appeared on the record with Brewer. It was also reported that the two had developed a mutual attraction. Another 1956 hit was Brewer's syncopated rendition of "[[Mutual Admiration Society (song)|Mutual Admiration Society]]". In the same year her hit "[[A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl]]" demonstrated in one song her ballad and rock talents. In 1957 she recorded more covers: of country song "Teardrops in My Heart" and R&B songs "[[You Send Me]]"<ref name=pc17>{{Gilliland|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19767/m1|title=Show 17 - The Soul Reformation: More on the evolution of rhythm and blues[Part 3]}}</ref> and "[[Empty Arms]]"
"Teresa Brewer Showcase" was the first LP she released; it was a collection of several of her early recordings with London Records but did not include her two hits "Music! Music! Music!" or "Choo 'n Gum." Most of the albums she released with Coral over the 1950s were typical LPs of the era, featuring more collections of songs and cover versions rather than thematic ideas--one exception was the Catholic-flavored Christmas album "At Christmas Time" (1957). The last charting hit she had was "Milord" in 1961. Brewer continued releasing albums throughout the 1960s but the British invasion quickly eliminated most interest in older singers and her record sales dwindled.
She appeared as a special guest star on [[The Muppet Show]] in 1977 and made an appearance on [[The Statler Brothers Show]] in 1993.
She appeared as Pat Edmonds in the 1953 film musical ''[[Those Redheads from Seattle]]'' – she was a natural redhead herself. Her song from the film, "Baby Baby Baby", was successful as a single.<ref>Billboard - Oct 31, 1953 - Page 30 TERESA BREWER Baby, Baby, Baby 78 CORAL 61067— "Baby" is from the current flick "Those Redheads From Seattle." Artfully phrased and styled. Miss Brewer Kirns in a socko performance on this romantic ballad. "</ref> She appeared on television as a guest star on such television shows as ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' and ''[[Sha Na Na (TV series)|Sha Na Na]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Garlen|first1=Jennifer C.|last2=Graham|first2=Anissa M.|title=Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets|year=2009|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0786442591|page=[https://archive.org/details/kermitculturecri0000unse/page/218 218]|url=https://archive.org/details/kermitculturecri0000unse/page/218}}</ref> In 1968, Brewer sang "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" at the [[1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1968 MLB All Star Game]]. She released "Danny's Song" (written by [[Kenny Loggins]]) in 1972 (album, ''Singin' a Doo Dah Song''), in 1975 (album, ''Teresa Brewer – Her Greatest Hits''), in 1986 (album, ''Portrait'') and, again in 1991 (album, ''Sixteen Most Requested Songs'')
Line 40 ⟶ 46:
Brewer re-emerged as a jazz vocalist on [[Bob Thiele]]'s Amsterdam label in the 1980s and 1990s, recording a number of albums including tribute albums to [[Bessie Smith]], [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Fats Waller]] and [[Irving Berlin]]. She also recorded with such jazz greats as [[Count Basie]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Dizzy Gillespie]], [[Earl Hines]], [[Svend Asmussen]] and [[Bobby Hackett]]. A landmark recording in her career was ''Softly I Swing'' ([[Red Baron Records]], 1992) which was produced by Thiele and featured [[David Murray (saxophonist)|David Murray]], [[Ron Carter]], [[Kenny Barron]] and [[Grady Tate]]. ''Memories of Louis'', also recorded for Thiele's Red Baron Records, paired her with a different well-known trumpeter on each track, including [[Clark Terry]], [[Nicholas Payton]], [[Ruby Braff]], [[Freddie Hubbard]], [[Wynton Marsalis]], [[Roy Hargrove]], [[Sweets Edison]], [[Lew Soloff]], [[Terence Blanchard]], [[Yank Lawson]], [[Red Rodney]] and [[Dizzy Gillespie]].<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/memories-of-louis-mw0000273285 "Memories of Louis" review]. Allmusic.com. Retrieved October 22, 2014.</ref>
Thiele died in 1996, and Brewer never recorded after that.<ref name=TheIndependent/>
==Personal life==
| |||